More than 700,000 people across the country are now dependant on social welfare supports.
The number has soared in recent weeks as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It does not include people whose employers have kept them on but are paying 30% of their salary while the Government pays the 70% balance.
The number of people signing on the live register in Donegal has gone over 10,000.
The latest figures were released today by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
Last Friday, payments were issued to 507,000 recipients of the €350 per week Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Support payment, which is up from 283,000 a week ago.
These payments are in addition to the 205,000 people on the Live Register receiving “standard” non-Covid-19-related Jobseeker’s Benefit of €203.
This means that a total of 712,000 people are receiving income supports, with 507,000 signing on since 16 March when the Covid-19 Pandemic payment was announced.
The department received and processed 544,000 applications for the payment, though a number were withheld for various reasons.
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty said the scale of the demand for the Covid-19 payment demonstrated the “once in a century” nature of the emergency facing the country.
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